Families are waiting four years for FAI

Families in Scotland are facing waits of up to four years for fatal accident inquiries (FAIS) into their relatives’ deaths to be concluded, figures highlighted by the Scottish Liberal Democrats show.

The average number of days for an FAI to be undertaken and concluded in 2016-17 was 406 days, however data covering the past eight years puts the longest wait at 1,586 days in 2012-13.

The Lib Dems raised concerns over “unreasonable” delays in the process following an appeal to the Lord Advocate to initiate an FAI into the deaths of M9 crash victims Lamara Bell and John Yuill in 2015.

The couple lay undiscovered in their car for three days following the accident.

Lib Dem justice spokesman Liam Mcarthur said: “Cases that drag on or are left unanswered leave families in limbo.”